John

Lesson 3 w/AnswersJohn 2:1 - 3:10

In our last lesson, we examined John 1:1-18 and Christ’s role in creation. We discovered many truths, among which were that:

  1. Christ and God are one
  2. Christ is God in the flesh
  3. Christ is our creator and our savior
  4. Creation was literal
  5. All of creation is held together by Christ
  6. The invitation of salvation and the gift of eternal life is open to all
  7. The world is rejecting the very person who created it
  8. God has a plan, He has had it from before the beginning, it includes the saved and a new heaven and earth are coming
Bible

What an exciting study it was, and how it sets the stage for the rest of the book of John, having established the basis that Jesus really is the Messiah. In this lesson, we will continue our study by looking at several key pieces of Chapters 2 and 3—namely Jesus turning water into wine, the cleansing of the Temple, and the story of Nicodemus.

Each of these stories will provide deep insights into Jesus, his earthly ministry, and how his coming to die for us represented dramatic changes in Jewish thought regarding the Messiah.

So grab your Bible, open your mind to God’s leading, and consider the following questions related to John Chapters 2 and 3.

  1. Read John 2:1-11. Why does John include this miracle in his gospel? We don’t find it in the other Gospels. What are the two reasons that John provides?
    1. ANSWER 1: It was Jesus’ first miracle;
    2. ANSWER 2: It convinced the disciples that he really was the Messiah.
  2. If we believe that every miracle that Jesus preformed had a kingdom purpose, what do you suppose was represented in this miracle?
    1. ANSWER: Changing the water into wine represented the changing, or transition, from Judaism into Christianity.
  3. Look John 2:6. What do the pots of water represent? What were they typically used for? (Mark 7:3 and Leviticus 11:33 will also give you a hint.)
    1. ANSWER: They were used for ceremonial hand washing.
  4. If the empty pots represented something that the new wine replaced, can you think about what that might be?
    1. ANSWER: The joy of the nation of Israel had run out; its purifying system had failed and did not work. It was replaced by the blood of Christ, which restored the joy of the kingdom.
  5. Now read John 2:13-22. Again, consider why John puts this event in his gospel.
    1. ANSWER: See John 2:22; it was included to further demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah.
  6. Read Deuteronomy 14:22-26 and Exodus 30:11-16. How do these verses relate to the story that John records in John 2:13-22?
    1. ANSWER: These passages relate to Passover, for which one had to bring required sacrifices plus a "Temple Tax". If coming in from out-of-town, money would be used to buy offerings there in Jerusalem.
  7. What was the role of the money changers? Why were they needed? See if you can determine the two reasons, and list them below.
    1. ANSWER 1: They were required for basic currency exchange when traveling from a different country to Jerusalem for the Passover. Furthermore, Roman coins had the image of Caesar on them. Therefore, all Roman Coins were "unclean".
    2. ANSWER 2: Secondly, the Temple Tax had to be in paid with a half-shekel coin.
  8. When did the disciples understand that Jesus’ reference to rebuilding the Temple was actually referring to Him being crucified, buried for three days, and then resurrected?
    1. ANSWER: See John 2:22. They did not understand this reference until after Christ’s resurrection.
  9. Read John 3:1-10, the story of Nicodemus and his encounter with Christ. What does Jesus tell him about "seeing the kingdom of God"? What is the requirement?
    1. ANSWER: Simply to be born again.
  10. Does Nicodemus ever accept Jesus as his savior? (We’ll look at the answer next week.)

As we saw in our study of this lesson, John now begins to build a solid case for Christ as the Messiah. Starting with the premise of Christ and God as one, and then that of Christ as the Creator; he begins to show us step-by-step that as Jesus approached the cross, he left sign-after-sign of his Messiahship.

The next lesson will be one of the most important lessons you that will ever study in the entire Bible: the need to be "born again," and why it is the most important decision you will make in your entire life.

Have a great week everyone, and thanks for studying with us.

In Christ,

Wes

[2018]

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